TRIGGER WARNING!
This website contains poetry and true stories about trauma, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-harming, depression and other significant mental health issues, as well as personal stories of emotional neglect and physical and sexual abuse, which some people might find disturbing.
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Poetry for Mental Health
Supporting people with mental health challenges by motivating and inspiring them to write poetry.
"Poetry for Mental Health has supported thousands of people around the world through words and poetry!"
ROBIN BARRATT - Founder POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
I formed
Poetry for Mental Health at the outbreak of COVID, as a way of helping people cope mentally through lockdown and the pandemic by inspiring them to write poetry. Five years, seven books, hundreds of poets, and thousands of pieces of poetry later,
Poetry for Mental Health
is still inspiring people to write poetry for positive mental health! And with around 1600 visitors each and every month, it
is now probably the largest and most visited website of its kind on the net!"
~
"No matter what your age, background and experience, culture or identity; whether an established writer with many published titles to your credit, or an aspiring poet who has never written a word of poetry in your life, our philosophy here is to embrace, welcome and support everyone, everywhere suffering from mental health challenges, and help you cope through words and poetry ... Get writing!"
NEW - This Week's Featured Poetry (x4)
Week commencing Monday 01st December, 2025
REVENGE FANTASY
By Victoria Krivo
childhood room re-modeled to a nursery;
journals in the attic, sports medals thrown out.
you watch as I’m relegated on further side-shelves
to make space for her growing family. I keep
my mourning out of sight, celebrate
when I’d rather sleep through the day.
but then comes your careless brand of cruelty,
snide remarks dressed as jokes.
why–when you see tender skin–do you insist
on digging until a wound takes shape? Oh,
I could show you how to miss me. I could freeze you
in our last memories, searching for signs in hindsight.
turn your jests into a bullet that ricochets through us both
a last note burned in your brain–& when you hang me
higher than the stars with ornaments on the tree
would you finally understand the depth of this grief? how it bleeds
into what should be others moments of joy, corrupted
by guilt & shame.
ABOUT VICTORIA:
Victoria is an emerging writer based in McLean, Virginia. She double majored in English and Economics at the University of South Carolina, and her poem Euthanasia has been published in Harrow House Journal.
DISGRUNTLED MENTAL HEALTH CLIENT
By Freddie Obregón
“You’re not allowing yourself to feel depressed”
Says my therapist after I ask her,
“Why am I abusing caffeine, cannabis, and nicotine?”
She continues,
“Just like you get food poisoning,
And your body naturally vomits to rid itself of the disease
Your body needs to naturally work depression out of its system.”
I just wish I could somehow
Open up so many holes in my body
Open up so many holes in my mind
Open up so many holes in my soul
And let this stuff pour out.
“You’re just looking for the easy way out!”
Says the confusing therapist.
Depression is a bitch.
ABOUT FREDDIE:
Freddie is a Texan who struggles (not "suffers"- he refuses to be a victim) with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). He is currently on the long road to addiction recovery and picks himself up after every relapse. Feel free to send him poetry at: freddie.obregon@yahoo.com.
ABHASANA
By Farblos Artem
Beauty’s an illusion
A room full of mirrors
Flickering candle in the midst
Each mirror is a reflection
An Abhasana
Angles differ
One from the other
Appearances of faces
Same source
One Flame
Flickering
Dying and Living
Dancing with the wind
Glisten and Quiver
What do you see?
What I see around me
Is what I am.
Inside me
Behind my eyes
Inside my mind
Everyone’s a reflection
Of the same flame
Re-living every moment
Six directions
Four dimensions
Or maybe Anant
All of you
All of me
Maybe you are me
Maybe I am you.
MY CANDLE'S STILL BURNING
By Jason Kirk Bartley
My candle’s still burning,
though a different size,
and a different length,
My candle’s still burning at near to full strength,
As It’s perched here in the window,
And you can see it flicker from afar,
You can see it through a night’s sky wherever you are,
Though my candle still flickers and threatens to be no more,
Like a light house in the bay,
leading ships to the shore,
I have a great testimony,
to help others along,
When they’re stuck with life’s decisions,
crushed in the middle of life’s throng,
as the wind whistles through the bay,
the turbulence becomes more to bear,
My candle still flickers to let others know it’s still there,
to show others it can be done,
Do not drown in life’s problems,
Persevere to the end and help others find the way,
Be a brother, sister, or a maybe even a friend.
Your experience matters,
It matters where you’ve been,
And you’ve overcome so much,
Do not keep it to yourself,
Let it burn and be real,
Put it on your candlestick no matter how you feel,
For everyone to see,
Let your light so shine,
Set people free,
from the bondage you carried for what seemed like an eternity,
Your candle still burns brightly,
The darker the night,
Lead others in the pathway,
In the middle of our fight,
Where happiness can be,
Be that light on the window sill for all to see,
That casts its shadows upon the wall,
Be an encouragement be a blessing,
Be an inspiration to all.
The more problems that come your way,
And they surely will,
Defines who you are,
As your light flickers brightly still,
to everyone near and far,
Let’s be that example,
wherever you are.
ABOUT JASON: Jason resides in Ohio. He is 50 years of age and struggles with paranoid schizophrenia daily, but has been stable for close to 20 years. He has a Masters degree in ministry from Ohio Christian University in Circleville, Ohio. He has won many awards and been published in various places.
Lots more Featured Poetry ...
On the themes of mental health, from hundreds of poets around the world.
"Why is poetry so very good for people with mental health challenges? Because it helps them see the world in their own way, and in a way that makes sense to them ..."
Robin Barratt
Our Books
GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS!
Treat yourself, or someone close, to a copy of one of our acclaimed books this Christmas. They make inspirational gifts, all are five star rated at Amazon, and all profits from sales go back into promoting and publishing poetry for mental health. Click on the link below for further details, contents list, and to order a copy from Amazon websites worldwide. Thank you!
"People can benefit from writing poetry because it can take the images and the talk in your head and transfer it to paper. It’s like getting the words out
of your head so that they don’t linger there."
Nadine Dunseith
Personal Journeys
In their own words, writers and poets write about their own personal journey with mental health.
Interviews
Nine amazing writers and poets about their journey with mental health.
Featured Poets
Featuring almost 80 poets around the world, with up to six pieces of their work, and a little about the author and the stories behind their work.
NEW - Featured Books
Promoting books and publications on the themes of mental health.
Articles
Articles about poetry and positive mental health.
Writing Poetry for Mental Health Course
Our new online Writing Poetry for Mental Health course will be available again soon!
We are established internationally as one of the leading resources for poetry and mental health and, over the past five years, have supported hundreds people across the world and showcased thousands of pieces of poetry! If you already write poetry, but would like to further develop your skills and style, or have not written a word of poetry in your life, but would like to start, then this course will be perfect for you.
Publishing Services
We publish books for other people too!!!
Would you like to see your poetry collection published as a paperback and Kindle, and available for other people to read around the world? Prices start from just £150.00 for a chapbook / short collection. Click on the link for more info.
Newsletters ...
NEW - Newsletters ONLINE
What's new at Poetry for Mental Health. Our monthly newsletters are now available to read online.
Send us your name and email address and we'll keep you updated with our news and calls for submissions. We'll never send you more than one email a month, or pass your details onto anyone else ... ever!
Other ...
Directory of Support Services
Charities, groups and organisations worldwide offering mental health help and support to people in crisis.
Mental Health First Aid
Identifying warning signs of common mental health crisis, and how to guide a person towards safety and appropriate help. More info ...
“No matter how bad something may seem at that moment in time when you feel all is lost, it can get better if you can only give it more time."
Lynda Tavakoli
NOTE ON CONTRIBUTIONS: We publish mental health poetry from around the world, and for a number contributors to this website, English is not their first language. Unlike some other platforms, we don't heavily edit a poet's own work (if we did, it would then not be their own work!), so please focus on a poet's messages and meanings, and not necessarily on any grammatical mistakes or translated imperfections that may arise within their contribution.
